Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.
Chapter 30
Vlad was in a burning building. He tried to escape, but no matter which way he went, he only found more flames. He called out to Arthur and Lukas, but their voices did not respond to him.
He could hear a familiar cold chuckle, before someone grabbed him from behind. He yelped and tried to escape, but the other had a firm grip on his wrists. He flinched when he felt the other's breath on his ear.
"You're alone now," Nemthys whispered. "Just like always. Your so-called friends will abandon you. You're nothing but a means to an end to them. They only tolerate you because they think they need you."
"No…" Vlad whimpered. "You're wrong. Let go of me!"
"You can struggle against the truth as much as you want. You know I'm right. They felt angry at the thought of touching you."
Vlad desperately shook his head. He remembered that they were angry, but he knew that it wasn't about touching him. About sharing a blanket with him. What was it? Why were they angry?
Vlad screamed in frustration as Nemthys continued to chuckle into his ear.
Vlad gasped as his eyes snapped open. He looked around, relaxing somewhat when he saw that both Arthur and Lukas were next to him, sound asleep. And then he noticed that they had their arms wrapped around him.
He could remember a situation like this a few weeks ago – was it that long ago? He was sleeping between the two, and they had their arms wrapped around him. And back then… Vlad had been the one feeling awkward about it. His experiences with personal contact hadn't been the best back then, and he had felt self-conscious about what Arthur and Lukas could have thought about him.
Vlad was very aware of their skins pressing together, and he was also aware of the heat. This was a comfort to him. It made him feel that they didn't just see him as an accessory to their quest. He was their friend, their companion. They wouldn't get rid of him when everything was over. He had a place among them.
Still, despite the heat radiating from Arthur and Lukas, and the heat from the fire, he still felt cold. That was the effect that Nemthys had on him. Whenever he had a dream where Nemthys appeared, he would always feel so uncomfortable. He wondered if the same could be said for Lukas and Arthur.
Arthur's hold on him tightened, and he turned towards the other. His face was twisted, and Vlad could feel a stab of Arthur's emotions. He was afraid. Vlad gasped at the shock of it, and forced himself to sit up, pushing their arms aside. Lukas groaned, but didn't wake up. Vlad started shaking Arthur's shoulders.
"Arthur?" he whispered. "Wake up. You're safe. It's okay."
He continued trying to wake Arthur, but all his efforts only resulted in Arthur whimpering. Vlad tried to think of something, and only one insane idea came to mind. He would later blame the lack of sleep.
Vlad placed his lips on Arthur's, and after a few seconds, he felt Arthur stirring and heard him cry out in distress. Vlad pulled away, his face heating up as Arthur sat up.
"W-what were you d-doing?" Arthur demanded, his face as red as Vlad's felt.
"I'm s-sorry," Vlad stammered. "I was trying to wake you up, but you didn't want to. This is the only thing I could think of to… I'm sorry."
Arthur was panting, and his gaze went over towards Lukas. He relaxed when he saw that Lukas was still asleep.
"Why did you want to wake me up?" Arthur asked.
"I felt your fear," Vlad explained. "Were you having a nightmare too?"
Arthur was still, before his eyes went over towards his lap. After a while, he nodded.
"I suppose… You had one too," Arthur said. "That's why you said that. And why you're awake."
"Yeah," Vlad agreed. "I was in a burning building, and then… Nemthys came."
Arthur tensed when he heard that name, and he turned to look at Vlad.
"What happened?" he asked. "What did he do or say to you?"
Vlad swallowed. He was afraid to tell Arthur. But he could feel the concern coming from Arthur, and he decided to try.
"H-he said… You and L-Lukas only t-tolerate me b-because you think you h-have to," Vlad stuttered. "That… once y-you don't n-need me, you'll a-abandon me."
Arthur's eyes widened, and in the next instant, his arms were around Vlad's body. Vlad gasped, before he dissolved into sobs. Arthur stroked Vlad's back and tried to shush him.
"Don't listen to him," Arthur whispered. "We don't just 'tolerate' you. I genuinely enjoy your presence. Your energy, your curiosity… It's all so refreshing. I'm sorry if I did anything that made you feel as though I'm just 'tolerating' you. But you shouldn't listen to anything that Nemthys says, even if it's inside a dream. He wants to hurt us. Don't let him."
Vlad sniffed and clung tighter. He heard movement behind him, but he didn't really care at the moment. He just relished in Arthur's warmth and his scent.
"…My dream was that I lost the two of you," Arthur whispered. "That I was too weak to help you."
"Why can't he just leave us alone?" Vlad whimpered. "He already has his followers hunting us. Why can't he let us sleep in peace?"
"I can only imagine that he wants to break our spirits. But how he manages to get to us… I don't know. Now then, are you feeling better?"
Vlad sniffled and nodded. He pulled away from Arthur, who proceeded to wipe the tears from his cheeks. Arthur smiled towards him and placed a kiss on Vlad's forehead, startling them both. Arthur's face turned red as a response.
"I-I'm sorry," he said. "It just… It felt right in the moment." He cleared his throat and looked away. "I-I'll go check to see if the clothes are dry."
Arthur moved away, leaving Vlad to ponder the kiss. He felt movement behind him and turned to Lukas. He appeared to be asleep, but Vlad was starting to feel Lukas's inner turmoil. Vlad stroked Lukas's face, finally settling on ticking the tip of his nose. Lukas's nose wrinkled, before he opened his eyes.
"What is it?" Lukas slurred.
"Is everything alright?" Vlad asked. "Your emotions were… I don't know how to describe them."
"I was having a… weird dream. Not quite a nightmare. But it wasn't pleasant."
"Care to share?"
Lukas frowned and shook his head.
"It's already fading," he said. He looked behind Vlad, before looking over towards the fireplace. "Arthur? What are both of you doing awake?"
Arthur jumped, before he cleared his throat.
"Clothes are dry," he announced. "I'll just move them away."
"I woke him up," Vlad explained. "He was having a nightmare."
Lukas sighed.
"Arthur, any idea when you could make those charms?" Lukas asked.
"I think I can make them tomorrow," Arthur said. "We will just have to wait a bit before we leave. I think I can make a good charm with some wood."
"Okay. Then we can try in the morning. In the meantime… Can we please get some sleep?"
Arthur and Vlad nodded, and Vlad settled down again. Arthur hesitated, holding the clothes, before he set them aside and slipped under the blanket. Vlad closed his eyes, feeling his two friends settling on either side of him. He hoped that they wouldn't have any nightmares anymore.
…
Arthur yawned as he carved the symbol into the piece of wood, pausing in his chanting to do so. They had found a few items that they could use, including a knife that he could use to carve the symbols for the charms. Getting the pieces of wood was a bit harder. The knife was on the blunt side, and getting three pieces from a tree was very difficult, especially after the rain.
Vlad was still asleep, and Lukas was looking over Vlad. He placed his hand on Vlad's forehead, before he sighed.
"Does he have a fever?" Arthur asked.
"No," Lukas said. "But I think he's exhausted. And not just regular exhaustion."
"What do you mean?"
"I think it has something to do with his ability to feel our emotions. I think it's taking its toll on him. And he doesn't really tell us if we're feeling happy or something."
"No… He woke me up last night because he could feel my fear. I'm guessing feeling other people's negative emotions could wear on anyone."
Lukas said nothing as he stared at Vlad. Arthur stared as well, but he had a feeling that it was because of other reasons. He could still remember the kiss that Vlad used to wake him up. That was understandable. But what Arthur couldn't understand was the kiss that he gave Vlad in return. It was just a spontaneous thing done in the heat of the moment, but it had kept him awake for most of the night.
He wondered if Vlad could sense his emotions, and if it kept him awake as well. A part of him hoped that he wasn't responsible for Vlad's exhaustion, but another part hoped that Vlad didn't just shrug off what happened. It was this part that confused Arthur. Did he really want Vlad to obsess over a kiss that Arthur didn't really understand why he gave it to him?
"Arthur?" Lukas asked. "Are you okay? You look a little… distracted. Is something wrong?"
Arthur shook himself and cleared his throat.
"I'm fine," he said. "I just had trouble falling back asleep, that's all. Nothing to worry about."
"…What kind of dream did you have?" Lukas asked.
"…It's nothing," Arthur said. "Forget about it. Besides, Vlad and I already talked it over."
Lukas's eyes didn't leave Arthur, and he turned his attention back to the carvings, just to escape that piercing and accusing gaze.
"It's not something that's going to give us problems in the future, is it?" Lukas asked.
"…No, I don't think so," Arthur said. "In fact, the dream makes me want to try harder. I will do my very best to make sure that we will all make it out of this alive."
Lukas stared at him for a while before his face relaxed into a smile. For some reason, Arthur's face started to grow warm at the sight.
"I promise the same," Lukas said. "I will keep you and Vlad safe to the best of my abilities."
Vlad whimpered in his sleep then, causing Arthur's eyes to snap to him. He didn't look distressed, and in fact seemed to be very comfortable. Lukas stroked Vlad's hair, and Vlad nuzzled into the contact.
"He's really adorable," Lukas said. "Don't you think?"
"…He had a harsh life," Arthur said, "but he still seems so innocent. But he's not naïve. It's… A bit strange."
"I don't think so. It just means that his past didn't succeed in breaking him."
Arthur could only nod in response. He turned his attention back to the charms. He needed to ignore any potential distractions. The sooner he finished the charms, the sooner they could continue on their journey.
But did they really have to? It was so comfortable there… And it felt safe. Arthur wouldn't mind staying there for as long as possible.
Dylan's dead face flashed through his mind, and Arthur immediately felt guilty for thinking something like that. If they abandoned their quest, then Dylan's death would have been completely empty, and he didn't want to bring such an insult upon his brother. He also realised that his other brothers would suffer as well. Nemthys's followers could easily go after them, and the longer their quest lasted, the more opportunities there would be for them to reach Alistair and Patrick.
No. As painful and as exhausting as it was, Arthur would continue to press onward, and he knew that Lukas would feel the same way. He'd want to protect Berwald and Emil. And as for Vlad…
…Vlad would go with Arthur and Lukas. He had no one else to care for. It was sad, and it was a reminder to Arthur. Vlad had already lost his family, and it was one of Nemthys's followers at the root of it all. They wouldn't hesitate to go after Arthur or Lukas's loved ones.
Arthur put one of the charms to the side and closed his eyes. His thoughts led him to a dark place, and he just wanted to make sure that there was a light.
Are you alright?
He waited for a while for either Alistair or Patrick to respond. The problem with this magic was that it took longer the farther away they were from each other. And during that time, Arthur could only worry.
We're fine. You're safe.
His shoulders relaxed as he sighed in relief. Lukas looked up at him, but Arthur didn't immediately respond to Lukas's inquisitive expression. Alistair had confirmed that they were alright, and he also confirmed that Arthur wouldn't need to return a message. He assumed that everything was fine on Arthur's end because Arthur was communicating with them.
"I just contacted my brothers," Arthur said. "My thoughts went a little dark, and I needed to make sure they were still safe."
Lukas nodded his understanding. He looked down at Vlad again and stroked his hair.
"I wish I could contact Emil or Berwald like that," he said. "But they don't have magic. I mean, Emil is sensitive to magic, but he can't use it himself."
"…Hopefully, we'll be able to get close to your hometown," Arthur said. "And then we can see them for ourselves."
Lukas didn't answer, but Arthur could still see that soft smile. Lukas was grateful for the gesture.
Vlad groaned, and they turned to regard him. Arthur watched as those red eyes opened, before they frowned as they looked up towards Lukas.
"Why is my head on your lap?" Vlad asked.
"Oh," Lukas said, as though only then realising the position they were in. "I just thought… You'd prefer to be a little more comfortable. I'm sorry."
Vlad shrugged, before he sat up. He looked around and spotted his clothes. Arthur looked away as Vlad went to retrieve them. And seeing the flash of Vlad's naked skin reminded him of the kiss yet again.
"One of the charms is finished," Arthur said. "Hopefully, we'll have a far more pleasant sleep tonight."
"Let's hope so," Lukas said. "These nightmares are really starting to get tiresome."
"And I always feel extra sleepy after a nightmare," Vlad said. "Do you think that's their plan? Make sure we're too tired to get away next time?"
"You know, that might actually be a possibility," Arthur said. "Our sleep is interrupted, and we're also travelling a lot. It wouldn't be a surprise that they're actively trying to wear us out. Which means I'll need to hurry with the charms."
"Do we still have enough to eat?" Vlad asked. "I'm pretty hungry."
Another thing that Arthur had noticed of late was that Vlad was no longer embarrassed to say that he was hungry. He had been awkward, and almost afraid. But now that he knew that he wouldn't be punished, he had no problem to be open about it.
"There's some sort of jerky," Lukas asked. "Arthur, when you're finished with the charms, do you think you'll be able to see how far away the nearest town is? We'll need more provisions."
"Of course," Arthur said. The map only seemed to work for Arthur, so the duty was entirely on him. Lukas could use the compass, but it would only point in the direction of that which they needed. It would not help them to know how long it would take. "Sorry, this is still going to take a while."
"No worries," Lukas said. "Vlad, do you want to help me to get some water?"
"Is that okay?" Vlad asked, looking between Arthur and Lukas.
"We're only distracting Arthur. We should give him some space to work in peace."
Arthur blushed when Vlad looked at him again, before he nodded.
"Okay," Vlad said, standing up after pushing the jerky back in the bag. "Are you sure you'll be alright here?"
"I'll be fine," Arthur said. "There's still a ward here. No one will be able to attack me."
They were not going to risk sleeping without the wards to keep any intruders out. By now, Arthur was an expert when it came to creating wards.
"Okay then," Vlad said, before he turned to Lukas. "Let's get going then."
Arthur's chest ached when he watched them go. He was pretty sure that Vlad would be able to feel the same feeling. Was it jealousy? Longing? And for who did Arthur feel that?
Arthur didn't even understand his own emotions anymore. He wished to blame Nemthys, but he didn't think that their enemy had anything to do with any of that. No, this was Arthur's problem, and he only hoped that it wouldn't be a problem for Lukas and Vlad.
…
"Did you really want to give Arthur privacy to work, or was there something you wanted to speak with me about?" Vlad asked.
"…You can feel our emotions, right?" Lukas asked. "Tell me… Is there anything that you feel from us that… scares you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Emotions that… Make you nervous? I'm just making sure that we're not causing any more trouble for you."
Vlad stopped and cocked his head to the side. Lukas had to hold in a smile. It was very cute.
"Well, I wouldn't say you 'scare' me, exactly," Vlad said. "But I do get these weird feelings from you that I don't understand. Like sometimes, you almost feel angry, but it's not anger, and other times it's a kind of sadness, and right now… I don't know. You kind of feel… funny."
Lukas frowned and thought about it, before he realised what Vlad was referring to. First, Lukas realised that there were times when he felt jealous, and other times… longing. But right now… He was feeling attraction.
